Cops & Courts

The issue of prison rape is often belittled by standup comedians, but it’s really no laughing matter – especially if you’re a transgender woman locked up in an all-male facility.

Grace Lawrence, 43, is a transgender woman from Liberia who was in the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, for nearly three years. For all but six months, she was kept in solitary confinement for 23 hours a day.

Often, transgender inmates are placed in protective custody – also known as solitary confinement – for their own protection.

Since 9/11, surveillance of Muslims has been on the rise. New York City made national news in February when the Associated Press broke the story about the NYPD spying on area mosques. AP won a Pullitzer Prize for that reporting.

About a month later, in March, we received similar news much closer to home. The ACLU announced it had documents showing the FBI spied on mosques here in the San Francisco Bay Area between 2004 and 2008.

Paul Ekman, UCSF Professor Emeritus of Psychology,discusses how his research on facial expressions and emotions can improve public safety, the criticism he has received from colleagues for working with law enforcement, his discussions with the Dalai Lama about forgiveness and responsibility, the pros and cons of having his work portrayed on the TV show “Lie to Me,” and more. 

Paul Ekman Interview Highlights

Ekman on Criticism From Colleagues That He Works Too Closely with Law Enforcement: